Melty Blood - Akiha Tohno - Full Moon

Melty Blood - Akiha Tohno - Full Moon

Full Moon

Notable - Running up to the opponent switches sides with them.  High pressure and mix-up potential.  Standard throw drops opponent in front of Akiha.

Normals:

5A - Quick swipe.  Short-range.  Even on block.

2A - Short-range poke.  Low.  Positive on block.

5B - Short-range downward swipe.  Moves Akiha forward a little.  Chargeable.  Slightly negative on block.

[5B] - Short-range downward swipe.  Moves Akiha forward a little.  3-hits.  All hits can be jump canceled on hit only.  Positive on block

2B - Downward swipe.  Low.  Slightly negative on block.

5C - Long-range slash.  Pushes Akiha back a lot on block.  Negative on block.

2C - Long-range slash.  Knocks opponent down.  Negative on block.

[2C] - Long-range slash.  Knocks up and is a hard knockdown.  Slightly negative on block.

3C - Upward Slash.  Useful as an anti-air.  Tall hitbox.  Knocks opponent up.  Negative on block.

j.A - Forward chop.  Poor air-to-ground hitbox.

j.B - Downward slash.  Great downward air-to-ground hitbox.  Great jump-in.  Overhead.

j.C - Downward kick.  Decent air-to-ground hitbox.  Shorter hitbox than j.B.  Overhead.

Specials:

236A - Saw attack right in front of Akiha.  4-hits.  Slow startup.  Positive on block.

236B - Saw attack right in front and above Akiha.  4-hits.  Slow startup.  Positive on block.

236C - Bigger saw attack right in front of Akiha.  7-hits.  Slow startup.  Positive on block.  Not invincible.

623A - Upward-angled attack.  Launches opponent.  Can be followed-up in corner.  Can be used for an anti-air.  Negative on block.

623B - Upward-angled attack.  2-hits.  Slighly higher angle than A-version.  Slightly slower startup.  Launches opponent.  Can be followed up in midscreen or corner.  Can be used for an anti-air.  Positive on block.

623C - Upward-angled attack.  6-hits.  Same angle as B-version.  Launches opponent.  Can be used for an anti-air.  Very negative on block.  Very invincible.

214A - Forward aerial buzzsaw attack.  4-hits.  Can pass over crouching opponent in midscreen.Positive on block.

214B - Forward aerial buzzsaw attack.  4-hits.  Overhead.  Jumps farther than A-version.  Does more damage than A-version.  Can pass over crouching opponent in midscreen.  Negative on block.

214C - Forward aerial buzzsaw attack.  4-hits.  Overhead.  Jumps farther than A-version but shorter than B-version.  Does more damage than B-version.  Can pass over crouching opponent in midscreen.  Negative on block.  Not invincible.

22A - Area attack around Akiha.  Low.  Knocks down.  Slightly negative on block.

22B - Area attack around Akiha.  Low.  Slightly slower than A-version.  Knocks down.  Positive on block.

2C - Area attack around Akiha.  Low.  Much larger hitbox.  Knocks opponent up.  Slightly negative on block.  Not invincible.

j.236A - Saw attack right in front of Akiha.  4-hits.  Moves Akiha away from opponent.

j.236B - Saw attack right in front of Akiha.  4-hits.  Moves Akiha away from opponent.

j.236C - Bigger saw attack right in front of Akiha.  7-hits.  Moves Akiha towards opponent.  Not invinicible.

63214C - Command grab.  Swaps sides with opponent.  Low damage.

41236C - Powerful command grab.  Point-blank hitbox.  Small explosion for decent damage if the grab does not connect.  Very invincible.  Negative on block and does not hit crouching.

Melty Blood - Akiha Tohno - Half Moon

Melty Blood - Akiha Tohno - Half Moon

Half Moon

Notable -  Very fast character.  Can close in quickly.  No jumping specials.  Fewer overall options than Crescent Moon.  Standard throw drops opponent in front of Akiha.

Normals:

5A - Short-range kick.  Low.  Fairly positive on block.

2A - Medium-range jab.  Slightly negative on block.

5B - Medium-range kick.  Low.  Slightly negative on block.

6B - Medium-range chop.  Negative on block.

2B - Downward swipe.  Low.  Negative on block.

5C - Long-range slash.  2-hits.  Negative on block.

6C - Standing forward kick.  Negative on block.

2C - Sweep.  Low.  Moves Akiha forward a little.  Knocks down.  Negative on block.

j.A - Forward chop.  Poor air-to-ground hitbox.  Not an overhead.

j.B - Downward slash.  Great downward air-to-ground hitbox.  Great jump-in.  Overhead.

j.C - Heel Kick.  Good air-to-ground hitbox.  Great jump-in.  Overhead.

j.[C] - Floats a little bit making it harder to land on grounded opponents.  Overhead.

Specials:

236A - Jumping long-range attack.  2-hits.  Slightly upward trajectory.  Misses crouching.  Moves Akiha back a little.  Slightly negative on block.

236B - Jumping long-range attack.  2-hits.  Slightly downward trajectory.  Hits crouching.  Moves Akiha back a lot.  Slightly negative on block.

236C - Jumping long-range attack.  6-hits.  Slightly downard trajectory but not as much as B version.  Misses crouching entirely unless at range.  At range it only hits crouching twice.  Moves Akiha back a little.  Can be followed-up if close.  Very positive on block.

623A - Upward-angled attack.  Launches opponent.  Can be used as an anti-air.  Can be followed-up on counter-hit.  Extremely poor starter.  Negative on block.

623B - Upward-angled attack.  2-hits.  Slighly higher angle than A version.  Slightly slower startup.  Launches opponent.  Can be used for an anti-air.  Can be followed-up in the corner.  Slightly positive on block.

623C - Upward-angled attack.  6-hits.  Same angle as B version.  Can be used as an anti-air.  Very invincible.  Very negative on block.

214A - Delayed ground-eruption right in front of Akiha.  Launches opponent.

214B - Delayed ground-eruption far in front of Akiha.  Launches opponent.

214C - Delayed ground-eruption very far in front of Akiha.  Launches opponent.  Does not use meter.

22A - Area attack around Akiha.  Low.  Knocks down.  Slightly negative on block.

22B - Area attack around Akiha.  Low.  Slightly slower than A version.  Knocks down.  Positive on block.

22C - Area attack around Akiha.  Low.  Knocks up.  Slightly negative on block.

63214C - Command grab.  Swaps sides with opponent.  Low damage.

41236C - Powerful command grab.  Point-blank hitbox.  Small explosion for decent damage if the grab does not connect.  Very invincible.  Negative on block and does not hit crouching.

Heroes: Reborn

I finished up watching Heroes: Reborn just now.  I am not really sure what to make of it.  It started off okay but then the plot started to come apart more and more.  I am not really sure how I feel about the finished product.  It reminded me a lot of the main series and that is not really a good thing.  I like the idea of the series but maybe it should have stayed buried?

*****Spoiler Ahead*****

Also, what is with the ending?  I thought this was supposed to finish off the series in some kind of proper, yet dramatic, fashion?  The twins get some kind of Tarot Cards and Angela says it's from their father and he's coming(in some sinister fashion).  This implies there will be more.  Was Peter not the father?  Why is Peter now implied as being some kind of evil?

Melty Blood - Akiha Tohno - Crescent Moon

Melty Blood - Akiha Tohno - Crescent Moon

Crescent Moon:

Notable - No jumping specials.  Fewer overall options than Crescent and Full Moon.  Standard throw drops opponent in front of Akiha.

Normals:

5A - Short-range kick.  Low.  Fairly positive on block.

2A - Medium-range jab.  Slightly negative on block.

5B - Medium-range kick.  Low.  Slightly negative on block.

6B - Medium-range chop.  Negative on block.

2B - Downward swipe.  Low.  Negative on block.

5C - Long-range slash.  2-hits.  Negative on block.

6C - Standing forward kick.  Negative on block.

2C - Sweep.  Low.  Moves Akiha forward a little.  Knocks down.  Negative on block.

j.A - Forward chop.  Poor air-to-ground hitbox.  Not an overhead.

j.B - Downward slash.  Great downward air-to-ground hitbox.  Great jump-in.  Overhead.

j.C - Heel Kick.  Good air-to-ground hitbox.  Great jump-in.  Overhead.

j.[C] - Floats a little bit making it harder to land on grounded opponents.  Overhead.

Specials:

236A - Jumping long-range attack.  2-hits.  Slightly upward trajectory.  Misses crouching.  Moves Akiha back a little.  Slightly negative on block.

236B - Jumping long-range attack.  2-hits.  Slightly downward trajectory.  Hits crouching.  Moves Akiha back a lot.  Slightly negative on block.

236C - Jumping long-range attack.  6-hits.  Slightly downard trajectory but not as much as B-version.  Misses crouching entirely unless at range.  At range it only hits crouching twice.  Moves Akiha back a little.  Can be followed-up if close.  Very positive on block.

623A - Upward-angled attack.  Launches opponent.  Can be used as an anti-air.  Can be followed-up on counter-hit.  Extremely poor starter.  Negative on block.

623B - Upward-angled attack.  2-hits.  Slighly higher angle than A-version.  Slightly slower startup.  Launches opponent.  Can be used for an anti-air.  Can be followed-up in the corner.  Slightly positive on block.

623C - Upward-angled attack.  6-hits.  Same angle as B-version.  Launches opponent.  Longer reach than A and B-versions.  Can be used as an anti-air.  Very invincible.  Very negative on block.

214A - Delayed ground-eruption right in front of Akiha.  Launches opponent.

214B - Delayed ground-eruption far in front of Akiha.  Launches opponent.

214C - Delayed ground-eruption very far in front of Akiha.  Launches opponent.  Does not use meter.

22A - Area attack around Akiha.  Low.  Knocks down.  Slightly negative on block.

22B - Area attack around Akiha.  Low.  Slightly slower than A-version.  Knocks down.  Positive on block.

22C - Area attack around Akiha.  Low.  Much larger hitbox.  Knocks opponent up.  Slightly negative on block.

63214C - Command grab.  Swaps sides with opponent.  Low damage.

41236C - Powerful command grab.  Point-blank hitbox.  Small explosion for decent damage if the grab does not connect.  Very invincible.  Negative on block and does not hit crouching.

Next MB Project

I think I am going to get started on my next character study in Melty Blood.  I should have at least one of the moons up later today at latest.

Early Game Thoughts

Some early thoughts on Ghost in the Shell First Assault:

Head-shots seem to happen very randomly.  They appear to be 1-hit kills.

Crouching is basically a free head-shot for your opponent.  It's good for being quiet but it sucks for trying to hold capture points.

Grenades are not able to be cooked as far as I can tell.  They are pretty useless most of the time.  Useful for keeping enemies trapped in a hallway for a few moments at least.

Character abilities can definitely be useful or near-useless depending on the game mode.  Since there was a bonus for playing the new character Maven, I went ahead and unlocked her with my level 3 operative unlock bonus.  She has a pretty awesome shield that hides things from view.  Unfortunately that does not work very well in Terminal Conquest since the game mode is running back and forth down a map a long way.  It's very hard to set that up and be effective(not impossible but challenging).  In Team Deathmatch, however, that barrier proved to be excellent for long range sniper cover.  I think, for now, I will stick with Motoko in Terminal Conquest and Demolition if I can help it.  The stealth is more universally applicable to me and my teammates.

Ghost in the Shell: SAC First Assault Beta

I bought into the Early Access Beta build of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - First Assault.  I usually do not bother with Early Access but this game was surprisingly affordable and it is based on an IP that I adore.  It also has all of the original English cast reprising their roles!

I have very limited experience with FPS games on PC but I have, so far, had quite a bit of fun with it.  It does play a bit choppy for the moment but it's nothing I have not dealt with in other games.  Not that that makes it okay but it is what it is for the moment.  Hopefully it will improve closer to its official release.  I also might have to rearrange the controls.  Not sure I dig the default scheme.  It's fairly standard but it just feels clunky to me.

Divergent: Insurgent - Movie Review

Divergent: Insurgent - Movie Review

Title: Divergent: Insurgent
Watched: Television(uncut)
Duration: A bit over 2hrs

This movie picks up shortly after the end of the first movie with Tris, Four, and company, on the run.  They were allowed sanctuary with the Amity faction provided that they do not disturb the peace.  Dauntless uncovers a secret artifact that was being kept hidden in Abnegation.

Surprisingly, most of the major(and minor) players from the original film are present as well as being played by the original actors.  This definitely helps with continuity between the two films.  There is a much bigger emphasis on plot this time since most of the heavy lifting on character development was already done with the first movie.  There are not really many new characters that are introduced save one that's notable.  Even they are not granted an abundance of character development.

The contrasting setting between advanced technology and run-down city is still an interesting one to me.  It is sort of serene in a way to see nature reclaiming so much of what mankind has built and abandoned.  This is an interesting take on the dystopian aesthetic.  I suppose it is similar to the Hunger Games in that regard.  Outside of this, very little is interesting.  The music I barely noticed and have now forgotten.  The effects were all right but nothing that is truly amazing.  About the most noticeable change in the movie was Shailene Woodley cutting her hair(and it looked pretty good).

Overall, I did not hate this movie.  It was entertaining enough, even if the plot could be seen cresting the horizon thousands of miles away.  I have literally no exposure to the book series so I have no idea how they compare in that regard, but I will definitely wait and watch the third movie when it is released.  I only just have to hope that it will not be released in two parts like everything else seems to be lately.

*Recommended if you liked the first one.*

Melty Blood - Satsuki Yumizuka - Full Moon

 Melty Blood - Satsuki Yumizuka - Full Moon

I noticed even more differences between the three on this variant.  Different attacks, different properties on similar attacks, and even different frame data.  They are like 3 different characters with the same skin.  I kind of wish they were all one character, though, since there's something to love about each one!

Full Moon:

Notable - Extremely poor air-juggling ability.  Standard throw tosses enemy in the air.  No unblockable meterless grabs.

Normals:

5A - Short range kick, low.  Positive on block.

2A - Short range poke, low.  Positive on block.

5B - Short shoulder charge, moves Satsuki forward a little bit.  Slightly negative on block.

2B - Standard horizontal punch.  Not a low.  Slightly positive on block.

5C - Downward chop, moves Satsuki forward slightly, chargeable.  Charge moves forward a tiny bit more and does more damage.  Not an overhead, not even when charged.  Charge gives a low ground bounce on hit.  Even on block without charge, slightly positive with charge.

2C - Sweep low. 2hits, 2nd hit knocks down.  Chargeable(3 hits, 2automatic, more damage).

3C - Forward slide, low, causes knockdown, chargeable.  Charge goes farther and knocks way higher, very far reach, does more damage.  Cannot jump cancel on hit.  Very negative on block without charge but slightly negative with charge.

j.A - Horizontal jab, bad hitbox, overhead.

j.B - Decent hitbox, overhead.

j.C - Chargeable, overhead.  Best jump-in  Does slightly more damage while charged and ground bounces.  Charge can be jump canceled on on hit or block.

Specials:

236A - Hopping command grab, cannot combo excet on counter-hit, blockable, chargeable.  Charge cancels grab.  Throws opponent behind Satsuki.  Decent hitbox.  Slightly negative on block.

236B - Hopping command grab, cannot combo, blockable, chargeable, can be follwed-up.  Decent hitbox.  Positive on block.

236C - Hopping command grab, cannot combo excet on counter-hit, blockable, ground bounces.  Decent hitbox.  Negative on block.  Not invincible.

623A - Uppercut/ground-to-air collider grab, can combo, fast, chargeable.  Not sure what causes grab vs. uppercut.  Charging drops opponent in front of Satsuki for oki, otherwise she throws them in the opposite direction for slightly more damage.

623B - Ground-to-Air collider grab, can combo, slightly slower than A version, chargeable, can be followed-up.  Charging/not charging does the same as the A version.  Can be followed-up on charge.

623C - Ground-to-Air collider grab, can combo, ground bounces.  Not invincible.

214A - Quick attack, moves Satsuki forward a good amount.  Charging cancels attack.  Can be jump-canceled only on hit.  Negative on block.

214B - Slower than the A variant, overhead, ground bounce, chargeable.  Charge does more damage, wall slams instead, and is jump-cancelable on hit or block.  Slightly negative on block without charge very negative on block without jump-canceling.

214C - Wall slams opponent(almost corner to corner), not an overhead.  Slightly negative on block.  Not invincible.

421A - Ground-to-air jump-grab, good close hitbox.  Ground bounces.  Can't follow up.

421B - Ground-to-air jump-grab, reaches much further up but doesn't work as well close up.  Ground bounces.  Can't follow up.

421C - Ground-to-air jump-grab,same range as B version and same problem close up.  Ground bounces, can't be followed up, but oki is possible.  Not invincible.

22A - Ground-based projectile.  Slightly negative on block regardless of distance.  Negative on block.

22B - Ground-based projectile, launches opponents low.  Very negative on block.

22C - Ground-based projectile, launches opponents low, 5-hits.  Hard(impossible?) to follow up outside a counter-hit.  Very negative on block.  Not invincible.

41236C - Powerful command grab for 100-meter, fast and good range, Max Heat only. Powered version is Blood Heat only.  Unblockable.  Lunges very far.  Invincible on startup.

63214C - Command grab.  Unblockable.  Short hitbox.  100-meter.  Super fast.  Not invincible.

Melty Blood - Satsuki Yumizuka - Half Moon

Melty Blood - Satsuki Yumizuka - Half Moon

I finished up all my findings on the Half-Moon variant.  I even discovered some new stuff and updated my previous post on the Crescent-Moon.  I also learned there are a lot of differences between these two characters.  They may look similar but they have some very different shenanigans.

Half Moon:

Notable - Can air juggle.  Can jump cancel all aerial attacks on hit or block except charged j.B.  Standard throw puts opponent on the ground.  Does not have any version of the 421X Slam Dunk attack.

Normals:

5A - Short range slap.  Hits crouching at full distance.  Even on block.

2A - Short range, low.  Even-ish on block, maybe even slightly negative.

5B - Swipe.  Moves forward a fair bit.  Very negative on block.

2B - Standard horizontal punch.  Not a low.  Slightly positive on block.

5C - Downward chop, moves Satsuki forward slightly, chargeable.  Charge moves forward a tiny bit more and does more damage.  Not an overhead, not even when charged.  Charge gives a low ground bounce on hit.  Slightly negative on block without charge, with charge it is even on block.

2C - Sweep low. 2hits, 2nd hit knocks down.  Chargeable(3 hits, 2automatic, more damage).  Very negative on block without charge, with charge it becomes positive on block.

3C - Forward slide, low, causes knockdown.  Charge goes farther and knocks way higher, very far reach, does more damage.  Cannot jump cancel on hit.  Very negative on block without charge, with charge it is less negative but still bad.

j.A - Poor air-to-ground hitbox.  Not an overhead.

j.B - Decent hitbox, overhead, chargeable.  Charge version is very active and ground bounces.  Cannot jump cancel on hit or block.

j.C - Chargeable, overhead.  Best jump-in  Does slightly more damage while charged and ground bounces.

Specials:

236A - Sliding command grab, can combo, blockable.  Can grab aerial opponents low to the ground.   Large hitbox.  Negative on block.

236B - Sliding command grab, can't combo, unblockable, slides further than A version, can be followed-up.  Large hitbox.  Not invincible.

236C - Sliding command grab, can combo on counter-hit, blockable, ground bounces.  Can grab aerial opponents low to the ground.  Huge hitbox.  Negative on block.  Invincible on startup.

623A - Ground-to-Air collider grab, can combo.  Drops opponent in front of Satsuki.

623B - Ground-to-Air collider grab, can combo, slightly slower than A version, can be followed-up.  Drops opponent in front of Satsuki.

623C - Ground-to-Air collider grab, can combo, ground bounces.  Not invincible.

214A - Quick attack, moves Satsuki forward a good amount.  Can be jump-canceled only on hit.  VERY POSITIVE ON BLOCK.

214B - Slower than the A variant, overhead, ground bounce.  Positive on block.

214C - Wall slams opponent(almost corner to corner).  Not invincible.  Slightly negative on block.

22A - Ground-based projectile.  Slightly negative on block regardless of distance.

22B - Ground-based projectile, launches opponents low.  Very negative on block.

22C - Ground-based projectile, launches opponents low, 5-hits.  Hard(impossible?) to follow up outside a counter-hit.  Not invincible.  VERY POSITIVE on block.

41236C - Powerful command grab for 100-meter, fast and good range.  Unblockable.  Lunges very far.  Invincible on startup.

63214C - Command grab.  Unblockable.  Short hitbox.  100-meter.  Super fast.  Not invincible.

Melty Blood - Satsuki Yumizuka - Crescent Moon

Melty Blood - Satsuki Yumizuka - Crescent Moon

This is what I could discover regarding Satsuki Yumizuka's Crescent-Moon variant in relatively short-order.  This is probably not an exhaustive list and some of this may be wrong but I am not able to 100% test everything.  This also does not include any potential properties gained through Counter-Hits.  I will follow this up with Half-Moon and Full-moon in due time.

Crescent Moon:

Notable - Extremely poor air-to-ground pressuring ability.  Cannot jump-cancel any aerial jump-ins on block.  Standard throw tosses enemy in the air.  Command grabs offer no movement bonuses.

Normals:

5A - Long reach. Hits crouching close only.  Maybe a decent anti-air?  Even on block.

2A - Long Reach. Not a low.  Slightly negative on block.

5B - Swipe.  Moves forward a fair bit.  Very negative on block.

2B - Standard horizontal punch.  Not a low.  Slightly positive on block.

5C - Ground pound.  Chargeable(gains overhead and ground-bounce properties, more damage).  Very negative on block with and without charge

2C - Sweep, low. 2hits, 2nd hit knocks down.  Chargeable(3 hits, 2automatic, more damage).  Negative on block without charge, positive with charge.

3C - Forward slide, low, causes knockdown, chargeable.  Charge goes farther and knocks way higher, very far reach, does more damage.  Cannot jump cancel on hit.  Very negative on block without charge but slightly negative with charge.

j.A - Poor air-to-ground hitbox.  Not an overhead.

j.B - Decent hitbox, overhead.

j.C - Chargeable, overhead.  Best jump-in.  Does slightly more damage while charged and ground bounces.  Charge can be jump canceled on hit or block.


Specials:

236A - Command grab, can combo, blockable.  Large hitbox.  Negative on block. 

236B - Command grab, can't combo, unblockable, can be followed-up.  Not Invincible at all.

236C - Command grab, can combo, blockable.  Has a ground bounce.  HUGE HITBOX.  Very Negative on block.  Not invincible on startup but seems to be right after.

623A - Uppercut/ground-to-air collider grab, can combo, fast, chargeable.  Not sure what causes grab vs. uppercut.  Charging drops opponent in front of Satsuki for oki, otherwise she throws them in the opposite direction for slightly more damage.

623B - Ground-to-Air collider grab, can combo, slightly slower than A version, chargeable, can be followed up.  Charging/not charging does the same as the A version.

623C - Ground-to-Air collider grab, can combo, ground bounces.  Not invincible.

214A - Quick attack, moves Satsuki forward a good amount.  Charging cancels attack.  Can be jump-canceled only on hit.  Negative on block.

214B - Slower than the A variant, overhead, ground bounce, chargeable.  Charge does more damage, wall slams instead, and is jump-cancelable on hit or block.  Slightly negative on block without charge very negative without jump-canceling.

214C - Wall slams opponent(almost corner to corner), not an overhead.  Slightly negative on block regardless of distance.  Not invincible at all.

421A - Ground-to-air jump-grab, good close hitbox.  Ground bounces.  Can't follow up.

421B - Ground-to-air jump-grab, reaches much further up but doesn't work as well close up.  Ground bounces.  Can't follow up.

421C - Ground-to-air jump-grab,same range as B version and same problem close up.  Ground bounces, can't be followed up, but oki is possible.  Invincible on startup.

22A - Ground Pound, launches enemy high.  Super negative on block.

22B - Ground Pound, launches enemy low. 2-hits, more damage.  Super negative on block.

22C - Ground Pound, wall slams.  Can be followed up.  Huge hitbox.  Suuuuuper negative on block.

41236C - Powerful command grab for 100-meter, fast and good range, Max Heat only. Powered version is Blood Heat only.  Unblockable.  Lunges very far.  Invincible on startup.

63214C - Command grab.  Unblockable.  Short hitbox.  100-meter.  Super fast, not invincible.

Fighting Game Update

 Fighting Game Update

Currently I am in the process of learning a brand new game(to me) which is Melty Blood.  If you do not know of this game, it is the predecessor to Under Night In-Birth from French Bread.  The two play very similar.

Anyways, I am currently in the process of taking notes for a couple of the characters(Satsuki and then probably one of the Akihas).  I am not able to find a whole lot of information about the game, that is too my liking, so I am digging it all up on my own!  It might be difficult to figure out the nuances of the defensive mechanics until I actually play some live matches but I will do my best.

The reason I am doing this is because Melty Blood will get its first, actual, local release of the game on Steam in a few months.  I hope to be well versed in the game by then so I can help out anyone that is newer and might want to learn a few tricks! :)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Movie Review

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Movie Review

Title: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Watched: Theater

Duration: A bit over 2 hours

Years after the close of Episode 6 we come to another galactic conflict due to the instability of the remnants of the now-defunct Galactic Empire.  The Empire is now replaced with The First Order, an entity every bit as evil as its predecessor.  Possibly even more-so.  The Rebellion opposes The First Order and seeks to undo its evil.  This is where we are at when our story starts.

The cast of this movie was truly spot-on.  I think they did a tremendous job on picking the actors to fill in the new slots.  From new to old, everyone seems to pull their own weight and they all seem utterly believable in their respective roles.  Not everyone gets equal screen time to really shine, however, but there are 2 more movies(at least) in the works to help out with this.  Most viewers really do not need a ton more back story on the older cast from the original trilogy.  They are as familiar as ever and we feel like we picked up right after the last adventure.

As for some miscellaneous notes: The grand orchestral score of this movie feels right at home and is instantly familiar.  The sound effects on everything are perfect and have amazing impact.  The sound on some of the heavy blasters is particularly satisfying.  I did not have any issues with the lighting anywhere and was able to easily identify everything.  They also had a great attention to detail.  They even included heat waves from the jet engines of the TIE fighters!  The CGI was blended virtually seamlessly.  They spared no expense to quote John Hammond from Jurassic Park.

There is plenty of excitement at just the right times to keep people engaged and invested in the characters and their story.  Nothing felt boring at all or felt like it went on way too long.  It is very consistent and in the right amounts.  The touches of humor were pleasant and not done in excess like "wink wink remember this thing?". 

In conclusion, this movie was phenomenal.  This is coming from someone who had the entire movie spoiled for them ahead of time.  It was very engaging and well paced from the outset.  The entire universe felt totally organic and believable.  My only real grievance would be a couple of points with some amazing plot convenience.  I want to give a special shout-out to the melee combat sequences.  They felt fairly realistic and had some serious weight to them, making them all-the-more tense.  They did not overdo the light sabers either!  It plays it safe but that is not always a bad thing.  This genuinely felt like a Star Wars movie and J. J. Abrams should very much be commended for this.

*Highly Recommended*

Rokka: -Braves of the Six Flowers- - Anime Review

Rokka: -Braves of the Six Flowers- - Anime Review

Title: Rokka: -Braves of the Six Flowers-

Watched: Crunchyroll

Duration: 12 episodes

This was a really fun series for me.  The premise is that a Demon King/God is on the verge of revival and he must be put down yet again.  Every time such an event occurs, 6 Braves are chosen by an ancient god who divided up its power to bless those would-be heroes.  Fortunately for everyone, they all know where this Demon is going to revive so they all head in that direction.  They all eventually meet up with one another, however, there is a problem.  There are 7 Braves gathered.  One is a fake.  Everyone is a suspect.

I must confess that I did not really like the protagonist through most of this series.  He immediately comes off as arrogant and pompous by declaring himself the "Strongest Man in the World".  Fortunately for me this initial annoyance was eventually washed away with further character development.  The rest of the cast is a myriad of different types: Assassin, Loyal Knight, Princess, Sniper, Little Girl, and Angry Woman.  They all have very different personalities and abilities making everyone feel unique.

The plot unfolds in a very fair manner for viewers.  We learn things about the situation as our heroes discover them.  One could guess aimlessly at who the impostor is, but it would be very hard to discern who the guilty party actually is until the very end.  I think they did a pretty good job keeping the clues obscure enough so that they would not be so easily discovered.

To sum up, I enjoyed this quite a bit.  It was a departure from a lot of the Highschool-based stuff we tend to see a lot.  I love medieval and fantasy settings and this definitely made me want to learn a lot more about its universe and lore.  I hope to see more of it at some point.

*Highly Recommended*

Starting out

Hey, I started a Web Log(Blog).  I plan to review media as I take it in, be it movies, games, anime, books, whatever.  Release dates do not matter as everything is new to me the first time.

This is mostly just a test post.